Page 17

PROLOGUE

THE BEGINNING OF THE END

T he rain lashes down, thunder roaring across the storm-dark sky. My hand trembles over my swollen belly as I gasp for breath. My stomach clenches again—tight, merciless. I've never run this much in my life. But I refuse to die tonight. My legs burn, my body screaming under the weight of exhaustion. The downpour doesn’t stop, soaking through my clothes as I press my back against a massive tree trunk. Please, not here. Not like this.

A sharper pain cuts through me, forcing a whimper from my throat. The ache between my legs is unbearable. Then, suddenly, it loosens. I can breathe again. But not for long. The gash in my stomach still bleeds when I move. The contractions don’t help. But I need to keep moving. If not, it was all for nothing.

A sob breaks free.

"Oh, David." His name slips from my lips just as another crack of thunder rips through the sky. My stomach churns, bile rising in my throat. I double over and vomit, but there’s nothing left inside me.

I am losing too much blood.

The weight of my guilt is threatening to consume me. I press my hand against my lower stomach, trying to protect the life inside me. But my baby remains still. There’s no time to worry about that. Not now.

Then, the pain returns—sharper, faster. No more time.

My knees give out, and I collapse into the mud. My fingers claw at the wet soil, desperation crawling up my spine. Not here. Not here. The unbearable pressure makes me want to scream. I force myself up, my muscles trembling as I straighten. I have to keep moving.

But I’m so tired.

A sharp snap echoes behind me.

I freeze.

My heart slams against my ribs, blood rushing in my ears. The storm swallows everything—thunder roaring, rain hammering the earth. My breath is shallow, my limbs are locked in place.

Someone is here.

Lightning flashes, illuminating the woods for a single second.

"NO." I shout when I see him. The shock makes my knees tremble, but I don’t fall. Instinct screams at me to run, and I do.

But then I feel it as I hear it— crack .

Pain explodes at the back of my skull. My vision fractures, black spots swallowing the world. I sway, barely standing, as my hand weakly lifts to the back of my head. My fingers come away warm and wet.

Did I piss myself?

Or did my water break?

The sky flashes again, lighting up the forest one last time. I try to see the face of the person who stole everything from me. But I don’t need to.

I already know.

And they will never escape me.